The invention relates to an automotive sweeper with wheels for traveling along a ground surface and with at least one sweeping brush which can be rotatingly driven for sweeping the ground surface and with a dirt container which is adapted to be acted upon with a vacuum by a suction unit via a suction conduit and which is connected via an intake line to a suction port for the purpose of receiving sweepings.
A ground surface, for example a street, a sidewalk or a parking lot, can be swept by means of such sweepers. The at least one sweeping brush engages on the ground surface to be cleaned and guides the sweepings to a suction port, from which the sweepings are transferred into a dirt container. For this purpose, the dirt container is acted upon with a vacuum by a suction unit so that a suction flow is formed from the suction port to the dirt container and from this to the suction unit. The sweeper is designed to be automotive, for example in the form of a vehicle, wherein the dirt container may be arranged in the rearward area of the vehicle and the vehicle may have a driver's cab in the forward area. The intake line which connects the suction port to the dirt container normally opens into the dirt container in the area of a container wall which is to the front in relation to the direction of travel of the sweeper.
Sweepers of the type described at the outset are known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,521. In this respect, the suction port is arranged between a steerable front wheel and two non-steerable rear wheels and the intake line runs from the suction port in a vertical direction upwards as far as an opening in the front container wall of the dirt container. In the transition area between the intake line and the dirt container, the suction flow experiences a deflection through 90°. The suction flow extends within the dirt container contrary to the direction of travel of the sweeper towards the back and reaches a filter unit. The suction flow passes from the filter unit into a suction conduit which is designed in the form of a vertical pipe and is arranged centrally in the dirt container in the direction of travel. In order to increase the intake of sweepings from the ground surface to be cleaned, it is suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,521 to arrange a conveyor belt with carrying bags, via which the sweepings can be lifted in a vertical direction, within the intake line.
Sweepers of the type specified at the outside are also known from EP 1 772 563 A1 and EP 1 772 564 B1. Both publications describe a sweeper, with which the sweepings are transferred from the suction port into the dirt container by means of a suction flow. Part of the suction air drawn in will, subsequently, again be directed onto the ground surface to be cleaned whereas the remaining suction air will be discharged to the surroundings by a suction unit.
The object of the invention is to further develop an automotive sweeper of the type described at the outset in such a manner that it achieves an improved cleaning result with as little use of energy as possible.